Improvement in means of adjusting paddle-floats



1. B. BAPTI STAL Means of Adjusting Paddle-Floats.

NQ. 142,835, Patented Septemberl6,1873.

Witnesses. 8 Q liwemer. 652A 0 Q a r' I Hemeysl apart, fore and aft, as the required length of UNITED STATES PATENT OFFroE.

JUAN B. BAPTISTA, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN MEANS OF ADJUSTING PADDLE-FLOATS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 142,835, dated September 16, 1873 application filed July 5, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JUAN B. BAPTISTA, of the city of New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Steamer-Paddle, of which the following is a specification:

The invention relates to the paddle-frames used on the outside of boats and operated by cranks; and consists in an improved construction thereof, to enable the paddles to be adjusted to any desired height.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of one of the paddle-frames, and a side elevation of the paddles and a portion of the side of the boat. Fig. 2 is a plan of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a side elevation of one of the paddles.

A represents a portion of the side of a boat; B, a couple of shafts projecting through the boats side O, crank outside of the boat; D, the frame for carrying the paddles; and E, the paddles. The cranks are arranged as far the paddle-frame, and said frame is connected to them at its ends, soas to be maintained parallel to the water at all times while being caused to travel in an orbit, to present the paddles to the water, and to raise them out and advance them above it.

The novelty of my frame and arrangement of the paddles consists of the upper and lower parallel crossbars F, for supporting the paddles vertically between them, as shown, and the fastening of the paddles in them by keys, bolts, pins, or other equivalent devices, driven or screwed in holes in the paddles above and below the cross-bars, the paddles having sev eral holes, H, at different heights, so that by simply taking out the keys or bolts, shifting the paddles up or down, andputting said key or bolts in again, the paddles may be readily shifted to any required condition. Thus the paddles are adapted to be changed with special facility, as often as may be required, in the navigation of rivers, bays, and other watercourses having numerous sand-bars and other shallow places. The arrangement will also be useful for canal-boats, river-barges, and the like, which vary considerably in draft, according to the variations of the load.

Having thus described my invention,I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The paddle-frame D, provided with an upper and lower double or slotted cross-bar, F, in combination with paddles having two or more series of holes to adapt them to be adjusted in depth by means of pins or bolts, as specifled.

JUAN B. BAPTISTA. Witnesses:

TIBUROIO HERNANDOS,

T. B. MosHER. 

